1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to athletic games and sports, and more specifically to a breakaway safety base for baseball, softball, and related games using bases. The present invention comprises a plate with a plurality of downwardly turned edges, with the plate being permanently attached to the bottom of the base. The downwardly turned edges resist lateral movement of the base when substantially vertical pressure is placed thereon, as by a runner stepping on the base, but offer little horizontal resistance to displacement in the event that a runner slides into the base. The present safety plate and base provide greater safety for baseball and softball players, by virtually eliminating any chance of jamming a leg or ankle when sliding into a base.
2. Description of the Related Art
Baseball, softball, and similar athletic games have been known for sometime, where a base runner is to contact each of a series of bases sequentially and attempt to return to the starting point before being tagged or called out, in accordance with the rules of the game. One way a runner may be tagged out, is to come into contact with the ball while the runner is not in contact with the base, particularly at second and third bases in baseball and softball.
Accordingly, runners are customarily taught to slide into second and third bases when a play appears to be close, in order to make it more difficult for an opposing player to tag the runner before the runner reaches the base. This aspect of the game is one of the more difficult to learn, as the timing of the beginning of the slide is critical in terms of sliding to a stop before contacting the base so hard as to injure the runner. The point at which the slide must be initiated is quite variable, depending upon the speed of the runner, the type of slide performed, the characteristics of the base path, and perhaps other factors as well. The "pop-up" slide, where a runner slides into a base with sufficient energy as to immediately rise to a standing position in order to be ready for an immediate departure for the next base or home plate, is perhaps the most difficult maneuver in base running to learn to perform well. Also, perhaps more injuries to ankles and other lower extremities occur as a result of sliding attempts, particularly so-called "pop-up" slides, than as a result of any other aspect of base running, particularly in junior and youth leagues where such techniques have not been refined.
Another point which must be considered, is that various youth and junior league rules provide for different distances between bases. Permanently anchored bases spaced for one league or group, may not be suitable for another. This can, and has, resulted in the canceling of games and tournaments where the only field was equipped with bases spaced at some different distances than that required for the teams or leagues scheduled to use the field.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a breakaway safety base for use in baseball, softball, and other games utilizing bases. The safety base must provide reasonably firm anchorage for the base when generally vertical pressure is applied thereto, as when a S runner steps on and rounds a base without sliding, but yet must also readily give way when a hard horizontal force is applied to the base, as when a runner slides hard into a base. The present safety base must also provide for temporary installation without requiring any other additional temporary or permanent anchoring or attachment means to the underlying surface, thereby permitting the present safety base to be used at virtually any ball field and to be temporarily placed to meet the base spacing requirements of virtually any baseball or softball league or association.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,863 issued on May 4, 1965 to Donald A. Nellermoe, titled "Indoor Baseball Bag," describes an outer bag or container into which a regulation base may be placed. The outer bag includes a lower surface with a cleated, rubberized material thereon. The Nellermoe bag is intended only for indoor use, and is not intended to move when force is applied thereto. The rubberized gripping surface is adequate for hard flooring in a gymnasium or the like, but is not suitable for outdoor use on a bare earth base path and would likely slip upon such a surface, unlike the present safety base and attachment plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,756 issued on Jan. 28, 1975 to Conrad J. Selliken, titled "Magnetically Attached Baseball Base," describes an outdoor base assembly having a permanently installed ground component which holds a plurality of magnets thereon. An upper plate is secured to the underside of the base, with the plate having a corresponding plurality of ferrous metal areas therein. The base is temporarily secured to the permanently installed ground component by means of the magnetic attraction developed between the magnets of the ground component and the ferrous metal inserts of the base attachment plate. The Selliken base assembly cannot be used at temporary playing sites, where the permanent installation of the lower component in the base paths would be unacceptable. In contrast, the present safety base and plate attachment comprise only a single assembly, with no additional components being permanently installed in the ground, as with the Selliken device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,558 issued on Jul. 27, 1976 to Alfred D. Gardetto, titled "Base Marker For Baseball," describes a base or home plate having a receptacle for a removable plug, with the plug being anchored to the ground by a pair of spikes which penetrate the surface. The relatively deep penetration of the spikes of the Gardetto assembly, would not permit lateral displacement of the upper base portion if a base runner were to slide hard into the base, thus possibly injuring the base runner. In contrast, the downwardly turned edges of the underlying plate of the present safety base, do not penetrate the ground significantly and allow the base to be displaced when a horizontal force is applied thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,768 issued on May 12, 1981 to Roger E. Hall, titled "Breakaway Safety Base," describes an upper breakaway base portion and a lower support portion, with the support portion being buried permanently in the ground. The upper base portion is secured to the permanently installed lower portion by mating hook and loop fastening material (i. e., Velcro, tm). Again, the use of a permanently buried component is unacceptable in many areas, thus precluding use of the Hall bases in those areas. The present breakaway safety base does not require any permanently installed and/or separate components to which the base secures, unlike the other devices of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,714 issued on Aug. 16, 1983 to Charles C. Fuller et al., titled "Ball Base Construction And Anchor," describes another two component assembly, with a permanently installed lower plate having a spike which is driven into the ground. The bottom of the base includes a mating channel and end flange, enabling the channel to be slipped over the permanently installed lower plate. However, Fuller et al. also provides an extension for their base, which extends outside the foul line (particularly for first base) to enhance safety by avoiding collisions between the fielder and base runner. This extension would not be suitable for second base (or for most play requiring regulation bases), and permits the base to be displaced in only a single direction. In contrast, the present safety base arrangement may be displaced equally well in any horizontal direction, due to a sliding or other horizontal impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,414 issued on May 15, 1984 to Pete Gutierrez, titled "Baseball Base," describes an assembly having a permanently mounted ground anchor and removable upper base portion. The shape of the base engagement portion of the anchor is somewhat like a dovetail fitting, with the overlying base having a mating fit. The positive engagement of the two components precludes dislodging of the overlying base due to horizontal contact, unlike the present safety base invention. The fact that the base would have to be removed from the underlying attachment by positive prying or other force, and the requirement for a permanently installed, immovable attachment for the base, result in an assembly unlike the present safety base invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,561 issued on May 17, 1988 to Roger E. Hall, titled "Safety Base With Anchor," describes an assembly having a permanently installed anchor component which is buried deeply into the ground, and an overlying detachable base portion. Hall is also concerned about possible injury to a player sliding into an immovable base, as evidenced by his earlier '768 U.S. Patent. However, in both cases Hall has included a separate, permanently anchored portion to which the overlying base is removably attached. This configuration rules out its use in many playing environments, where the permanent installation of base anchors would not be permitted. In contrast, the anchor for the present breakaway base is permanently and immovably affixed to the underside of the base itself, with both the base and anchor plate providing relatively little resistance to a horizontal impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,448 issued on Mar. 19, 1991 to Gene J. Anderson, titled "Baseball Base," describes a multiple component base anchoring system comprising one or more strips of hook and loop fastening material which are staked to the ground at the spot where the base is to be placed. The underside of the base includes mating hook and loop material secured thereto. The result is somewhat like the assembly of the '768 U.S. Patent to Hall, discussed further above. No unitary, permanent assembly of anchor components with the base is provided by Anderson, as provided by the present breakaway safety base invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,695 issued on Oct. 15, 1996 to Arthur E. Christensen, titled "Break-Away Base," describes an assembly having two separable components. The first component is formed of sheet metal, and includes downwardly and outwardly extending edges. This component is buried in the ground with its upper surface substantially level with the ground, and a spike is used to anchor the device more securely. The base component includes a magnetic plate therebeneath, with the magnetic plate serving to secure the base to the underlying anchor portion. This system is unsuitable for use in many playing fields, due to the necessity of digging a depression for placement of the permanently anchored portion of the assembly. Also, Christensen requires that the edges of the anchor portion be bent outwardly, to provide a ramp effect in the event that a runner digs into the ground as he or she reaches the base, thus causing the portion of the runner's body to slide up and over the sloped side of the anchor portion.
Finally, Canadian Patent Publication No. 614,881 issued on Feb. 21, 1961 to Herbert W. Henry, titled "Base Sack Anchorage Means," describes a permanently anchored component which is imbedded in the ground, with a base component which is movably secured to the anchored component. The lower, permanently anchored component includes a spring loaded upper plate, which may be moved laterally to the limits of its spring attachment to the immovable anchored component. The base attaches to the spring loaded upper plate. The resulting assembly allows some limited movement of the base if the base is struck by a hard horizontal force (e.g., runner sliding into the base). However, the requirement for permanently anchoring one component of the assembly in the ground, renders the Henry assembly unsuitable for use on playing fields where the bases may only be temporarily placed. The present safety base invention includes both the underlying anchor portion as well as the overlying base portion as a single assembly, with no digging or other penetration of the ground being required to any appreciable extent.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.